Things were going too smoothly. 

  

I was also too relaxed during the leisurely journey. 

  

I had forgotten that there was a time when what was natural wasn't natural. 

  

Orcs are rare. 

  

Ordinary people usually die without ever seeing one in their lifetime. 

  

That changed from the moment the army of Belial, the King of Darkness, began to seriously attack humans. 

  

Craig Khan, the great king of the orcs whose young son was killed by the Fiends. 

  

His participation in the war as an ally of humanity will happen about 7 years from now. 

  

Until then, orcs were beings that could only be encountered through literature or rumors. 

  

In other words, it's difficult for ordinary people to easily accept that Titan is a 'different race' called an orc. 

  

"Didn't we say we'd attack if you move?! Calm that guy down!" 

  

It's as if they think we're taming some wild beast. 

  

They don't even think Titan can communicate. 

  

Unlike in the rural village, they act like this because they know just enough to be dangerous. 

  

"Is there any reason I should endure any more of this insult?" 

  

The atmosphere isn't just hostile on the part of the duchy's soldiers. 

  

Titan, who has been receiving clear hostility, is the same. 

  

I bear some responsibility for this situation. It was my decision to bring Titan to the Foris territory. 

  

If history had followed its original course, Titan wouldn't have been able to ride the carriage, so he likely would have headed somewhere other than the Duchy of Foris. 

  

At least during my stay in the duchy, I hadn't heard any rumors about orcs. 

  

Titan probably headed to another city, and while I can't guarantee the same thing wouldn't have happened there, at least the situation would be different. 

  

Although I only saw it when he was eliminating the bandits, Titan has his own military strength. 

  

Even if something unexpected happened, Titan could probably have escaped. 

  

But not in the Duchy of Foris. 

  

Because the lord of this territory, Duke 'Age Foris', is one of only five grand magicians in the Empire. 

  

It doesn't matter for Titan, but if we get involved carelessly, it could be dangerous for us too. 

  

Given my position, I didn't want to do anything too conspicuous, but I have no choice. 

  

"Wait..." 

  

Just as I was about to rise from the carriage to resolve this situation. 

  

"Hello? Gate guards." 

  

Someone stepped forward before me. 

  

"Would you listen to me for a moment? I am Linea Spirin of the Count Spirin family." 

  

Linea, who had been trying to hide herself all along, took off her hood and revealed herself. 

  

In her hand was a noble's insignia, and her attitude was confident. 

  

"......" 

  

The most bewildered by this situation was probably not the gate guards on the wall, not the children in the carriage, not Titan who was being defended, but me. 

  

The Linea I knew didn't act in such a conspicuous way. 

  

Even when she fought the bandits, it was only because she had no choice in that unavoidable situation. 

  

Basically, she doesn't step forward unless there's a reason she has to. 

  

At least, that's how the Linea I knew was. 

  

Even if I twisted the original fate, this is too dramatic. 

  

"I-I'll go check!" 

  

Recognizing that Linea's insignia is real, the gate guard frantically sends a few people as messengers. 

  

Meanwhile, Linea puts her hood back on with a bitter smile. 

  

"Is this okay?" 

  

"Pardon?" 

  

"You looked troubled, didn't you?" 

  

"No, well... yes, I was." 

  

"I'm glad. With this, can I consider my debt repaid?" 

  

Linea, sitting modestly back in the carriage, smiles broadly. 

  

I can't make heads or tails of her. 

  

She seems to suspect me, yet tries to help me. 

  

The reason why these actions don't seem to be simply a response based on noble spirit is... 

  

Is it just my feeling? 

  

While we were waiting for a superior from the duchy in such a chaotic atmosphere. 

  

Creak. 

  

Finally, the city gate opens. 

  

Thud. 

  

An old man leaning on a staff appears. 

  

I'm dumbfounded at the sight. Linea is a noble. It's natural for someone befitting her status to respond. 

  

But the person who appeared before us now is excessive no matter how you look at it. 

  

"Well, well. I heard there was a commotion, so I came to see for myself." 

  

I never imagined that this monster would personally show up. 

  

One of only five grand magicians of 7th circle or above in the Empire. 

  

The lord who rules over the vast duchy. 

  

Duke Age Foris. 

  

He came down to the city gate, abandoning whatever he was doing. Even if Linea is a noble, this doesn't match her rank. 

  

No matter how renowned the Spirin Count family is, there's no reason for him to come personally like this when it's not the Count Spirin or his heir who has arrived. 

  

It was the same before my regression. 

  

Age Foris never appeared until Linea committed suicide. 

  

But why on earth? 

  

Too many inexplicable things are happening in this short period. 

  

Age Foris is walking steadily right up to our carriage. 

  

Age Foris, who appeared like that, said with a grotesque smile. 

  

"It's been a while, hasn't it? Prince Titan." 

  

"I don't know who you are." 

  

To Titan, not Linea. 

  

*     *     * 

  

Two years ago, 

  

That is, eight years from now. 

  

It was a day that was dark as always, and I was on edge about the constantly changing situation on the battlefield. 

  

-■■■, have you heard? They say the great king of the orcs is coming personally to become an ally in the war. 

  

-That's welcome news after a long time. So when is he supposed to arrive? 

  

At this point, when communication with the elves had been cut off and Nidavellir had fallen, the appearance of a new ally was nothing short of a hope that couldn't be unwelcome. 

  

-He'll arrive in 3 hours. So hurry up and prepare. 

  

-Why on earth are you telling me this important fact only now?! 

  

-I forgot. 

  

And it was also a moment when that light of hope was flickering precariously. 

  

What kind of national discourtesy is this? 

  

The Holy Maiden had a leisurely personality. 

  

So leisurely that she would forget even international issues like this. 

  

Most of the aftermath was handled by Claire and me. 

  

Anyway, it was too late to prepare a banquet, so we decided to prepare rooms where the king and his envoys could rest. 

  

Just as we barely finished preparations, the great king of the orcs, Craig Khan, appeared. 

  

-It's good to meet you, Holy Maiden of the Pantheon. The mask suits you well. 

  

-Yes, it's nice to meet you too, Great King Craig. It's a mask I cherish. 

  

The two exchanged greetings and refreshed the atmosphere with trivial small talk. 

  

The first impression was that he was a figure befitting the title of great king. 

  

Not only the intimidating presence from the orc's huge build, but he was also a being that felt gentle even in his solemnity. 

  

The faces of the warriors lined up around him were enough to make ordinary people's knees weak, but Craig Khan was different. 

  

I thought that even an ordinary person would probably think of him as a ruler first, rather than an orc, when they saw Craig. 

  

-I hope you understand that we couldn't bring many troops because our kind isn't very numerous. 

  

-If all those troops are elites, that's a different story. Welcome to the Pantheon, Great King Craig. 

  

The Holy Maiden usually had some clumsy aspects, but she was different when it came to doing what she had to do. 

  

She responded to Craig in a manner befitting her reputation as the Holy Maiden. 

  

-But can you understand that we must ask the reason for your sudden visit? 

  

-I understand your and your people's bewilderment. It was almost a unilateral notification, so you must have been perplexed. 

  

-Honestly, yes. I wondered more than ten times if this might be a trap. 

  

-You're honest. 

  

-If even I put lies in my mouth, who would believe in the gods? 

  

Craig smiled gently at the sight of the Holy Maiden speaking while looking straight into his eyes. 

  

It could have been a somewhat rude question, but he seemed magnanimous, just like his appearance. 

  

-I had a son. A treasure left by my wife. 

  

-...... 

  

-I only recently learned that he had died. Some bastard dared to raise my son's corpse with black magic in front of me. Only after I tore off that bastard's limbs did I learn what had happened on the continent. 

  

A calm anger overwhelmed the surroundings. 

  

Only the Holy Maiden could remain composed in the face of that. 

  

Even I and Claire were holding our breath in tension, but she was facing that pressure head-on. 

  

-The being that bastard believed in was called 'Belial'. Do you know of him? 

  

-Yes, since you mentioned black magic, he must be 'Mez', one of the 'Seven Blades', Belial's elite forces. 

  

-Yes, and that bastard said, no matter how much I struggle, I won't be able to defeat that demon. 

  

Crack! 

  

With that anger-filled voice, cracks appear in the marble floor Craig was standing on. 

  

He didn't move his posture or exert force. It was the effect of the aura flowing from Craig. 

  

The great king of the orcs, who possess overwhelming physical abilities, handles aura, which was the exclusive domain of knights. 

  

-He was just, just a child. Just a child throwing a tantrum! After killing my son, is that all he could say in front of me? 

  

It wasn't mockery. 

  

It wasn't an apology. 

  

Mez, said to be one of Belial's Seven Blades, simply calmly revealed his fanaticism. 

  

-So to show what I can do! Know that I am here now for that reason. 

  

In the face of Craig Khan's clear anger, there was no one who could doubt that fact. 

  

And the power of that anger showed its results on the battlefield. 

  

-It's amazing. Such tremendous power. 

  

-Indeed it is. 

  

The Holy Maiden and I saw Craig fighting on the frontlines of the battlefield. 

  

Boom! 

  

With one punch from him, dozens of demons and Fiends flew through the air, and with one kick, the battle lines were reversed. 

  

Like the epicenter of an earthquake. 

  

Everything crumbled and shattered around him. 

  

And all those attacks were deeply imbued with the emotion of anger. 

  

Seeing this, people praised Craig, and mourned his murdered child, calling him the 'ill-fated young prince'. 

  

A light of hope appeared. 

  

Because an individual who could single-handedly reverse the tide of this battlefield had appeared. 

  

However, unfortunately, that light of hope disappeared exactly half a year later. 

  

When the great king of the orcs, Craig Khan, 

  

Developed dementia and became unable to distinguish friend from foe. 

  

He became a walking disaster, and a new trial for the continent that hadn't grown for a long time. 

  

*     *     * 

  

What surprised me most when I heard that Titan was a prince wasn't about his status. 

  

Rather, I could accept that. He had shown that much power. 

  

I could naturally accept that he was Craig Khan's child. 

  

But... 

  

"You, how old are you?" 

  

"I'm 14." 

  

"......" 

  

I just couldn't believe that he was 14 years old with that face. 

  

Looking at the situation, I could tell it wasn't a lie, but it was a truth I just couldn't accept. 

  

"Hmm... I see." 

  

So I decided not to believe it. 

  

What 'ill-fated young prince'? Far from being killed by an attacker, doesn't he look more like the attacker? 

  

At this point, it seems more likely that the other party didn't kill Titan, but struggled to survive. 

  

"Shouldn't you be thanking me first? Thanks to me, you were able to enter so easily." 

  

"If it weren't for you, we wouldn't have been stopped at the entrance in the first place." 

  

Duke Foris looked at Titan's face with what seemed like a sneer and then went in. It was a cold response for someone who had called Titan a prince. 

  

It meant that while entry was permitted, he wasn't inviting him to the lord's castle. 

  

It was an unspoken pressure to behave and not cause trouble. 

  

"What a narrow-minded fellow. He doesn't even know how to say thank you." 

  

"......" 

  

I was at a loss for words at that confidence. 

  

More than that, I thought it would be impossible to make this guy understand with any words. 

  

So I decided not to hang onto the impossible task of making Titan understand. He'll manage somehow. 

  

As long as he doesn't die, it's fine. 

  

"So? What are you going to do now?" 

  

Honestly, I didn't want to be involved with Titan for too long. 

  

However, if he's the child of that Craig Khan, it's a different story. 

  

That status, power, appearance. 

  

Everything makes him sufficient to attract others' attention. 

  

I need to be involved with him. 

  

"I set out on a journey to master aura, so I intend to challenge that factory guy." 

  

"It's duke, not factory." 

  

"That's none of my business." 

  

I'll put him on the brightest stage. So that everyone's attention can be focused on him. 

  

And by doing so, lure in Belial... 

  

Then stab him with the dagger I'll prepare under the surface. 

  

"Why are you trying to master aura in the first place? What, is it something like wanting to surpass your father?" 

  

"That's a given. But the reason I decided to act so urgently is different." 

  

Titan answered my question with a serious expression. 

  

"Recently, my father's memory often cuts off. It's time for him to go." 

  

The fact that the timer on the time bomb called Craig had already started ticking made my blood run cold. 

  

"I intend to succeed to the throne. To do that, I need to become stronger than my father and forcibly pull him down." 

  

"Can't you just ask him to pass it on?" 

  

Or is this some orc culture I don't know about? 

  

Of course, his thinking is admirable. 

  

If a warrior with the power to surpass Craig is also sound of mind, there couldn't be anything better. 

  

But the question is whether that's possible. 

  

There's so much to do, can we afford to hang onto just that vague goal? 

  

"Hah, what if the day after he passes it on, he says 'Why are you sitting in my seat!' and tries to crack your head?" 

  

"There was a compelling reason." 

  

It was such a plausible reason that I couldn't refute any further. 

  

This time too, I intend to make the orcs strong allies of humanity. 

  

And if I intend to bring in the orcs, I need to do something about the time bomb called Craig. 

  

"So I need to train myself in battles with the strong. At least I need to reach the same level as my father for a fight to be possible." 

  

"But that's not going to be easy, you know? The strong ones you're looking for won't accept your challenge." 

  

"Why not?" 

  

"That's human custom. You'll have a lot more to learn if you want to achieve your goal." 

  

Strong individuals often have their own impressive status. 

  

Isn't it natural? Those who start from a different point and receive all kinds of privileges are strong. 

 

Of course, there may be some who are not, but between those who have received support on the same level of talent and those who have not, there is no need to compare which side is stronger. 

 

Prodigies made by wealth and power. And those prodigies build up wealth and power to make their family more solid. 

 

Fundamentally, they are the ones who have. 

 

And those who have a lot do not rashly take risks. 

 

In order to make them let go of that, a method worthy of that must be employed. 

 

"Shall I help you?" 

 

He teaches that method. That way, he puts the debt on the Titan. 

 

In order to bring the Orcs into the allied forces, somehow the foolish fellow in front of the eyes must be transformed into a bomb disposal specialist.